At the face of fast increasing disaster frequency and magnitude and challenges posed by changing climate amalgamation of science and traditional knowledge hold the promise to ensure disaster resilience and promote climate adaptation.
Traditional knowledge
Earthquake safety tradition in the Himalayas
Experimenting with building design and construction precepts the people living in earthquake prone Himalayan region developed a construction algorithm with five distinct principles that ensured safety of structures during earthquake incidences. Ongoing tectonic movements, ensuing subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, and their consequent collision resulted in the evolution of the Himalayan […]
Tradition of groundwater prospecting in Himalayas
Survival in the mountainous terrain, with scarce water availability despite ample rains, would not have been possible without mastering the art of water harvesting. The people of the region therefore observed natural processes related to water, ensured this knowledge being transferred from one generation to other, and experiemented to maximise water availability. Seeking answers to […]
Traditional knowledge: Groundwater presence
Just imagine that the early settlers in the Himalayan region were aware of the intricacies of Hydrological Cycle, groundwater presence, means of enhancing groundwater recharge, and had even mastered the art of groundwater exploration. Hope this is no testing time for the limits of your imagination. What if I say that by the end of this […]
Tradition of water harvesting
Nectar of life Everyone knows that water is a must for survival, and you would have often observed plants in your terrace wither or wilt due to shortage of water. It is however a lesser-known fact that water has been an essential ingredient for the very evolution of life, and the earliest life forms on […]